Minor league notebook: Coaching life agrees with Borkowski

The minor leagues — be it in the Astros’ chain or any of the 29 others – are full of them. They still love the game. They still want to play the game. Some of their peers are playing the game.

But the calls for work stopped coming, and the one-year deals dried up.

That’s when former Astros reliever Dave Borkowski, with his recent major league ré sumé not speaking loudly and no follow-up coming to his 2009 season with the Phillies’ Class AAA club, made a call of his own. Actually, he sent an email to the Astros’ then-director of player development late in 2009.

“I emailed Ricky Bennett, probably mid-December. I wasn’t getting a job, and I just emailed Ricky and said, ‘You know, I loved Round Rock, loved the organization, would be willing to go to AAA and just be a whatever-you-need type of guy if you’re looking for somebody.

“I put in my email, ‘Down the road, if you guys are looking for a pitching coach, keep me in mind.’ ”

Down the road turned out to be the next house on the right.

Borkowski was hired almost immediately as the pitching coach at the Astros’ rookie-level Greeneville affiliate, which plays in the short-season Appalachian League. This year, he has the same job with Class A Lexington.

In his care are a pair of highly valued righthanders in 2010 first-round pick Mike Foltynewicz, whom Borkowski had at Greeneville last year, and 2009 second-rounder Tanner Bushue, repeating the level and cur- rently on the disabled list af-ter straining his lower back.

Borkowski preaches to them and the rest of his young staff a “three pitches or fewer” approach to pitch-ing aggressively. It’s showing in the statistics in an obvious way: The Legends are ninth in the 14-team South Atlantic League in runs allowed but have the third-fewest walks in the league.

Teaching is not the same as being on the mound for Borkowski, who had a 5.44 ERA in 130 relief appearances for the Astros from 2006-08 as part of a 15-year career. But it’s soothing some of that competitive itch.

“I think it was good for me,” Borkowski said. “I think if I had sat home and not done anything, I would have been miserable. I would have been like, ‘Aw … I should still be playing.’

“I still want to compete. I don’t think that ever leaves, but now I feel like I throw every pitch with these guys. Every pitch they throw, I throw. I’m in it for them. It still gives me that competitive edge when they go out there.”

Where they are now?

Other former Astros major leaguers coaching at the Astros’ domestic affiliates:

Travis Driskill – High Class A Lancaster pitching coach. Pitched seven innings out of the bullpen between 2005 and 2007 as part of mostly a minor league career.

Mark Bailey – Short-season Class A Tri-City hitting coach. Hit .223 with a .340 on-base percentage as a catcher, starting in 1984 and 1985 and backing up from 1986-88.

Milt Thompson – Roving outfield/baserunning instructor. Hit .229 in 1994 and 1995 as a backup outfielder toward the end of a 13-year major league career.